The patient came with necrosis on her fingers. Pain started on the fingers after an injury of the shoulder and elbow. In a couple of months, the index finger turned into purple and slowly it spread to the middle finger within two months.
The pain was extreme (10/10) when she first came. She couldn't sleep well because of the burning pain and sometimes she had to scream when the pain is too much. The doctor first wanted to give blood thinner to the patient but discovered her blood was already thin. Another solution by Western medicine is amputation. However, the patient had a trust in Traditional Chinese Medicine and other natural healing methods.
In TCM, the disease is often caused by Yang deficiency (not enough Yang energy to push the blood to the extremities). The patient often feels cold in her hands and feet but at the same time a strong burning sensation in the fingers, which are caused by the dying nerve cells. In some situations, the pain could make some patients suicidal. It is a very difficult situation to Western Medicine. If the dead tissues are not cleared, they may poison the blood thus the whole body. If they are amputated, the surgery won't guarantee to stop the ischemia (inadequate blood flow). Thus, it is possible that more amputations may be needed. Some patients may feel the continuation of pain even after surgery (phantom pain). The root cause, which is Yang deficiency must be dealt with.
The picture shows a progression from the 1st to the 8th treatment with acupuncture. During the treatments, the patient felt tremendous energy movement (Chi), which is key to the success. After the third treatment, pain medication was reduced by 50%. In six treatments, the old skins started peeling off and pain continued to lessen. In eight treatments, there were almost no pain and burning sensation. The patient came for 2 treatments per week for the first 8 treatments. Now she only comes for one treatment every 2-3 weeks, which is not ideal. Her condition remains at the last picture.
The condition could be cured with the dead tissues felt out if the patient follows the treatment plan.